Amusement device.



e. H. RUMKE;

AMUSEMENT DEVICE APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. 1916.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

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' G. H; RUMKE.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

1 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. mo. Patented Feb. 19,1918.

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GEORGE H. RUMKE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application filed March 15, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon I-I. RUMKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement devices, its principal object being to provide a device mounted for rotation about a fixed axis and including a carrier upon which a performer may stand or practice acrobatic feats.

The device is in practice rotated at a high velocity and is disposed relative to its axis of rotation so that during at least a part of its rotary movement a person carried thereon is placed in an unsupported position and held from falling only by centrifugal force.

The carrier may consist of a flat or curved platform upon which the performer is carried or it may consist of a trapeze, horizontal bar or other similar gymnastic apparatus affording opportunity for a variety of acrobatic feats.

It will be readily understood that my invention may be embodied in apparatus varying in character and construction accord ing to the nature of the gymnastic feats to be performed thereon. In the accompanying drawing in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated, several forms of my invention have been illustrated,

Figure 1 representing a face view of an apparatus in which the rotary device includes an annular supporting surface and a trapeze suspended out of center of rotation thereof,

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 6,

Fig. 3, an enlarged section along the line 3-3, Fig. l,

Fig. 4, a sectional elevation of an apparatus in which an annular supporting surface has a rotary movement about a vertical axis.

Fig. 5, an end elevation of a form of my Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 84,325.

invention in which the rotary carrier consists merely of a suspended bar or trapeze,

Fig. 6, a section taken along the line 6-6, Fig. 5,

Fig. 7, an elevation of an apparatus in which the carrier comprises a platform of limited dimensions which rotates about a horizontal axis, and

Fig. 8, a section taken along the line 88, Fig. 7.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings the reference numeral 2 designates a supporting structure which in this instance consists of an upright rectangular frame which carries adjacent its corners a plurality of rollers 3 for the rotary support of a hollow cylindrical element at disposed within the same.

The cylindrical element is preferably composed of two concentric members 5 and 6 which as best shown in Fig. 3, are rigidly connected at opposite sides of a pair of hoop-shaped tubes 7.

The inner member 5 provides a platform for the support of the performer while the outer member 6 constitutes a tread-ring for engagement with the rollers 3.

One or more of the rollers upon which the platform is supported for movement about a horizontal axis, serves to drive the same by frictional engagement with the exterior surface of the outer member or tread-ring of the same.

The driving rollers are to this end operatively connected with motors 8 which in the construction shown in the drawings are mounted upon the surface upon which the supporting frame is erected.

Rollers 9 carried at the ends of radially extending shafts 10 which are rotatably mounted at the corners and at opposite sides of the same, engage the edges of the circular platform to maintain it against lateral displacement.

In the operation of an apparatus of the above described construction, the performer standing at any point of the inner surface of the cylindrical platform, may dance, tumble or perform other simple acrobatic feats while the platform rotates about its horizontal axis, it being understood that during the movement of the platform at a high velocity the performer is held in place by centrifugal force and moves with the cylinder about its axis of rotation.

Instead of standing upon the platform, the performer may place himself upon a bar 12 loosely suspended from the same by ropes, chains or rods 13 and held against move mentinafdirection opposite to the direction of rotation of the rope 14.

During rotation of the platform the bar is heldby centrifugal force in a fixed position with relation thereto and it moves in consequence about the horizontal axis of the rotary device while the performer practices gymnastic feats as on a trapeze or on a stationary horizontal bar.

The cylindrical platform may if so desired be provided with one or more handrails 20 or other similar devices adapted to be grasped by the performer until the platform has attained a speed suflicient to hold .him in place by centrifugal force.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. l, the surface upon Which the performer is carried in the operation of the apparatus, is mounted for movement about a vertical axis.

The rotating element is in this construction composed of a floor 15 provided with a circumferential upright rim 16 the interior surface of which constitutes the plat-form upon which the performer is carried.

The rotary element is supported upon a plurality of flanged rollers 17 which are journalod in bearings 18 and two of which are opcratively connected with motors 19.

In the operation of the apparatus, the performer movesonto the upright inner surface I of the rim after the device has attained a hlgh velocity and is held in place by centrifugal force as in the operation of the platform by a tie- The bar is prevented from moving in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the shaft, by a link 26 which connects it with an arm 27 projecting radially from the shaft, two such arms having been shown in the drawings for the application of two bars at opposite points if so desired.

The she-aft is rotated in its bearings by a motor 28 with which it is connected through the instrumentality of a chain 29.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, a small platform 30 is connected with a horizontal shaft 31 rotatably supported upon standards 32 by means of rigid hanners 33.

The operation 01 thls form of myinventlon is identical to that of thecontinuous platform shown 1n Fig. 1, with the exception that the performer is limited with respect to the space within which he moves while the device 15 in operation.

The shaft 31 is like that of the construe-.-

tion illustrated in Fig. 5 connected by means of an endless chain 3 1 with a motor 35.

Having thus described my invention in some of the best forms at present known to me, I desire it understood that other changes in the construction and arrangement of its parts may be availed of Within the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim- 1. An amusement apparatus comprising an element mounted for rotation about a.

horizontal axis, a support for a performer,

loosely suspended from said element and dis posed below the axis of rotation of the same when the element is in a condition of rest, and mechanism adapted to impart to said element a rotary movement which, by centrifugal force, preserves the position of a performer onsaid support relative to said 7 element.

2. an amusement apparatus comprising an element mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a support for a performer, loosely suspended from said element and disposed below the axisof rotation of the same when the element is in a condition of rest,

a connection between said element and said. support for compelling the latter to rotate in conjunction with said element, and mechanism adapted to impart to said element a rotary movement which, by centrifugal force, preserves the position of a performer on said support relative to said element.

3. [an amusement device comprising a circularelement, means exteriorly of said element for supporting it for movement about a horizontal axis, a trapeze loosely suspended from said element and disposed below I theaxisof rotation of the same when the element is in a condition of rest, and mechanism adapted to impart to said element a rotary movement which, by centrifugal force, preserves the position of a performer on said trapeze relative to said element.

4. An amusement apparatus comprising a supportmounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and normally suspended below the same for the support of a performer,

10 and mechanism for imparting to said support a rotary movement about said axis, Which by centrifugal force preserves the position of a performer relative to the support.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

